News Phones Why I Hate the iPhone’s Glass Back Delicate, heavy, ugly, and slippery. Is that enough? by Freelance Technology Reporter Charlie Sorrel has been writing about technology, and its effects on society and the planet, for 13 years. our editorial process Charlie Sorrel Published November 19, 2020 01:59PM EST fact checked by Richard Scherr Fact checker Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. Our Fact-Checking Process Twitter LinkedIn Article fact-checked on Nov 19, 2020 Richard Scherr Tweet Share Email Phones Phones Internet & Security Computers Smart & Connected Life Home Theater Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming View More Key Takeaways The glass back is required for Qi inductive charging, aka wireless charging.It’s harder to replace a cracked iPhone back than a cracked screen.Glass backs probably aren’t going away any time soon. Apple The iPhone’s glass back is heavy, delicate, and ruins otherwise great colors. So why does Apple keep making them? In its early years, the iPhone’s back was made from aluminum and plastic. Then came the iPhone 4, with its steel rim and glass back, which set the template for the heavy, breakable iPhones of today. Apple saw sense with the iPhone 5, 6, and 7, which were made of light, thin, tough aluminum, but ever since the iPhone 8, we’ve had to live with this nonsense. What’s Wrong With Glass? The biggest problem with glass is that it’s breakable. If your iPhone’s screen cracks, you’ll see it and feel it every time you use the phone. If the back cracks, you can just tape it up and ignore it, or put the iPhone in a case. But wouldn’t it be better if it didn’t break at all? Replacing a glass back panel is also tricky. Depending on the model of iPhone, you may have to completely disassemble it to get to the back (unless you have access to a special Back Glass Separator machine). "The glass backs of the iPhone 8, X, XR, and 11 series are fused to the internal components of the phone," writes the Broken Back Glass blog. "Apple uses epoxy glue and small welds to attach the circuit board and other components to the back. This makes it difficult to replace the back glass. In fact, it’s harder to replace the back of the phone than it is to replace the screen." The other downside of glass is it’s heavy. Not only heavier than plastic, but heavier than thin aluminum, too. Combined with the steel rim of the pro-level iPhones since the Xs, it makes for a dense, heavy package. And finally, it looks and feels bad. The red iPhone 12, for example, has a beautiful shade offered on the aluminum sides, but around back it’s washed out and pastel-y. The glass on the regular iPhone 12 doesn’t feel too bad, because it's glossy and therefore grippy, but the sandblasted matt finish on the Pro is both ugly and slippery. Cover it up with a case, I say, and make it even heavier. Why Glass, Anyway? The only reason to make the rear panel out of glass is to allow Qi charging. Commonly called "wireless" charging, despite the obvious wire that runs to the power supply, Qi chargers use induction to beam electricity into the phone. A metal back would block this transfer, although plastic would be fine. Qi has many downsides other than the requirement for glass. It’s inefficient compared to a direct connection, and the efficiency drops even further if you don’t align the phone perfectly on the charging pad. You also can’t pick up and use the phone while it’s charging, which you can do easily with a cable charger. Apple These are mere inconveniences for the individual, but on the macro, global scale, that charging inefficiency is an environmental disaster. This is especially ironic given that Apple stopped putting USB chargers in iPhone boxes for environmental reasons. Between Qi, and the new MagSafe charger for the iPhone 12, Apple seems committed to inefficient charging, and therefore the glass back. So, I guess if you’re a fellow glass hater, you’ll have to either live with the cracks, or buy a case. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit